BuildingConnected is an online bid management solution designed to serve general contractors and sub-contractors across the construction industry. The solution helps to streamline the bidding process, manage projects and build a network of professional contacts involved in the construction projects.
BuildingConnected offers a basic free version which helps users to manage the entire pre-construction process, from vendor qualification to sending or inviting bids. The project dashboard displays the real-time status of every ongoing activity and allows businesses to monitor their KPIs from a single screen. BuildingConnected also tracks the detailed history of bidder actions and allows project teams to collaborate through bidder notes. In addition to the free version, users can pay to upgrade to BC Pro, which gives users access to historical cost data, vendor relationship tracking, and performance analytics along with other additional features. BuildingConnected also has the ability to integrate with cloud storage providers such as Box and Egnyte. Users also get the option to upload documents, get NDAs and contracts signed from the vendors and create an electronic sealed bid function.
Building Connected is the best bid management software out there. Pros I really like the way that it is designed, it is easy to see what project you are looking at, the description and easy to accept the bid and also very easy to see what you have submitted and what you have not.
It shows a list of all GC's that you are bidding with and it is easy to keep everything organized. Cons Honestly I prefer Building Connected to other bid management software platforms, there are never any errors with downloading bid packages and everything downloads rather quickly. My, how you've grown! As a trade contractor doing about $5 million a year I've been getting plans and proposals from GC's via BuildingConnected's 'Private plan room' for several years now. I've noticed recently the change in GUI and functionality and investigated. I wound up with a few days to test drive the full product and liked it quite a bit.
Unfortunately I'm not convinced of the day to day justification for the high entry costs. It seems they are being stingy with features here under the misconception that trade contractors either aren't sophisticated enough or not large enough or don't have subcontractors of their own.
While using the test membership, I did the research and background work that I would normally do to decide if we will take on a new contractor on one that I found through the search engine on BuildingConnected. I found one in a few hours, one that we don't normally do business with but regularly does the $1 million pus jobs we normally do. I was surprised when they then responded a few days later with an Invitation to Bid (based they said on their research) on a project that was exactly the kind of project we find profitable, though not quite as large as we normally prefer. We could not do it, because it conflicted with another project we had on the schedule. Even if I had WON this job, the additional profit from it would have in large part gone to pay for the first year of membership. If the software DID MORE OR COST LESS we would have already purchased it.
Pros The ability to find those GC's that are bidding on the same projects (why not submit your proposal to all bidders?) easily and accurately. The almost infinitely customizable search interface. Finding new GC's in regional markets and being able to research them and their projects BEFORE I ask to be included in ITB's! Integration with my current 'free' account.
Cons Not an even rudimentary ability to manage MY subcontractors and vendors! They offer this feature in a richly granular way in the product they market to GC's, put a stripped down version HERE if you REALLY want to attract trade contractors!! Probably too costly for the returns for many trade contractors, yet not feature rich enough to appeal to larger trade contractors. Great Organizational tool for bidding with Clients!
Pros The best thing about this software is the organizational standards of the software. All of my clients that use BuildingConnected to send files, plans, memos etc.
Are doing themselves a favor. All my clients are listed with the particular details about those projects and it makes it easy to sort by date or client. Cons Sometimes BuildingConnected has connectivity issues with different internet platforms (Such as Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, etc.) This may be because of how much data is stored on the software, but I am unsure. Great software for receiving bids. Smoother bids days and was of communicating with my sub contractors.
Pros The added value to communicate with all my sub contractors at one given time in one specific scope of work is priceless. I have been using this for over a year and have grown to love all its free features and the paid version is even better.
Being able to price check all the bids side by side. Cons Getting everyone on board to use the software.
Sometimes that is the only challenge that I have. But when everyone is on board man do bid days go so smooth. Best software to access drawings and schedules for potenential jobs with customers I am always confident that I have the most updated files/documents for a project we are working on or are currently bidding on. It is a very easy program to access and navigate. Pros I use this software to access potential projects to bid on. It is very easy to navigate through our clients projects and find drawings/schedules we need. I receive an email any time there are new files uploaded to a project, so I always no when I have the most updated information.
Cons I don't have anything negative to say about this software. I just wish all of our clients used Building Connected so I could find every project we are working on all in one place! Necessary for Soliciting Bids Organization of bids and solicitation is perfect!
Very large subcontractor community on-board with this program and used to using it. Great sales and customer service team as well to help with questions and issues. Pros The organization of multiple projects that are bidding and selection of subcontractors to solicit is excellent.
Great solution and platform for storing all project information that is necessary for bidding, giving Subcontractors and vendors the ability to see and view all of the information very easily. It has a great tracking platform to see who is bidding and what the status is.
Cons Really no cons or complaints.only hurdle I would say is that if you want to have the subcontractors work and update statuses/etc. Within the program then they have to create an account as well which can be a struggle with some subcontractors.
Love this program! If your looking for Construction Software call these guys and take it for a test drive, you wont be sorry and your subcontractors will love it.
Pros Building Connected is the best software out there for me getting my bid invites and access to plans and specs. It so easy to use and everything you need a click away.
Contractors that are using this software can send bid invites and access to the plans right to my account. I'm using their Opportunity Manager also, I just forward my bid invites from Contractors who are not using Building Connected to this program and it puts it in order by bid date automatically, much better than me trying to organize my outlook. Another thing about this software when you download plans its way faster than it competition. Cons Once in awhile I will have to go in and manually put in the bid date on certain bid invites that I have forwarded to the Opportunity Manager.
Great for Bid and Sub Management There is a free version of this software. It has cut my bid invitation time in half. Its a great software. Pros First off its free.
Building connected has saved us hours of work from emailing and setting up plans in document management software. It is very easy to use. One of the hardest things before we were connected with Building Connected was how to get large files to other members of our team or subcontractors. Now it is as easy as dragging and dropping into Building Connected and telling the software who you want to sent the invitation too.
I really like using this software. Cons I have a couple of complaints. Many times when sending an invitation to bid to a subcontractor the invitation gets sent to their junk mail. Then I have to call and make sure that a individual is looking in their junk mail for the invitation. The other item that I do not like is the predetermined categories. They are more set up for vertical construction and not horizontal construction. So they do not have items such as asphalt binders, rotomilling, and other items found in road highway construction.
We Choose to Build with Building Connected! We use the integration with Building Connected to Procore, which simplifies the process of turning a bid into a contract or purchase order. If you use both or one of these systems, we definitely recommend using them as a pair.
Pros The ability to track and store all of our bids in one place. We can run reports and review previous bids for estimating new projects, pre-qualify our subcontractors with a customized questionnaire, and store templates for bid contact lists separated by cost code/bid package and organized by locations, type of project, category, or really anything we need!
Cons We cannot edit the sub's contact information, and companies are not the best at keeping emails and company information up to date in the system. If the company is not in the system, then we can add them with email, but can't store any of their company info (name, address, etc).
The CAC has a bar code on it that can be read by a bar code reader. The user’s ID number would need to get to Excel, then Excel would need to query the database that has the user’s name and any other information you wish to add to the worksheet. Excel can query the database and place the information on the worksheet wherever you want it, but you’ve left out so many details that I can’t be more specific. I am an unpaid volunteer and do not work for Microsoft. 'Independent Advisors' work for contractors hired by Microsoft. 'Microsoft Agents' work for Microsoft Support.
What more information does a person need? 'Hell Of A Pilot' was asking a VERY simple question, that I've been attempting to find the answer to as well.
Hcml Invites Contractors To Qualify For Machine
A basic signature? Could be digitally signed or a draw signature as Abode Acrobat allows.
For such an advanced software, how is it that Excel doesn't allow for a form to be signed on a Mac? We're not asking for really complicated, round-about answers. It's simple really. Can I put a signature on my Excel form so I don't have to be near a printer, scanner or fax machine to get the form sent off?
'Signature' means very different things to different people. Signing forms electronically is not simple at all. There are many ways to do it, so assuming that what you have in mind is what everyone else on the planet has in mind requires the rest of us to be mind readers.
We are not mind readers. You have to elaborate in order for us to know which of the many options you are thinking about. If I am guessing correctly, you want to put a picture of a signature into an Excel file and use that to authenticate a signature on a form. Or maybe you are thinking of Adobe's electronic authenticity verification services. Or maybe you have in mind encrypting a document when it is sent via email to someone. Bob already provided links on how to provide a true digital signature for a workbook.
If that is not what you are thinking of, please elaborate. I am an unpaid volunteer and do not work for Microsoft. 'Independent Advisors' work for contractors hired by Microsoft. 'Microsoft Agents' work for Microsoft Support. I am so sorry, Jim. You are right.
My snide and frustrated comment had nothing to do with you, and was especially unfair considering your willingness to be of service. I was engaging in wishful thinking, in that I had been looking for a way to 'draw' a digital signature, (just as I would with pen and paper), the way I can in Acrobat Pro. I'd seen references online about a 'signature line' that could be added to Excell, but couldn't find that option in my version (Mac 2011 Home & Student) and frankly didn't know what kind of signature it would lend. I know it's easy to add an image, but I don't have one. I don't very much like using digital verification signatures, because I find them to be less than aesthetically pleasing and kind of clunky.
I will go back to see what Bob's link was he'd shared. Thank you for your comment above.
I should have been kind and grateful, and instead became unnecessarily rude and insulting. Hi Lyana No offense taken. This is one of those topics that seem so simple, yet it is a very complex topic with lots of legal ramifications. Using an image or drawing of a signature as evidence of authenticity is an open invitation to fraud. No one should ever use an image or picture of their signature to authenticate or sign any document. Anyone can make a perfect copy of this type of signature and apply it to any document.
There is no software that prevents this from happening. A screen shot from a cell phone camera is all one needs to capture such a signature.
A miscreant can easily use such an image to steal an identity and cause limitless mischief. Such a signature violates HIPAA, FERPA or other mandated security programs.
Hcml Invites Contractors To Qualify For Macon Ga
Using true digital signatures is a PITA (another famous acronym, yes?). Most people ought to be using electronic digital signatures to sign all their email. Email that is not digitally signed can easily be sent to the trash folder. BUT, these digital signatures are machine specific, not person specific. Get a new machine or switch to a different machine and you're screwed. No wonder no one uses them. The more elaborate signatures handled by a dedicated signature server (as described in the links earlier in this thread) are the best way to go, but they're expensive.
I am an unpaid volunteer and do not work for Microsoft. 'Independent Advisors' work for contractors hired by Microsoft.
'Microsoft Agents' work for Microsoft Support.